Bridging Data And Content For Enterprise Information Management (EIM)

Enterprise Information Management (EIM) is a concept with potential for improving business management and operations. Its key purpose is to manage enterprise information assets across enterprise and application domains.

Information assets are based on data and content which means that successful EIM needs to bridge the traditionally separated areas of Data Management and Content Management. Both areas have been oriented to the production side of data and content including techniques for creation, integration, administration, access and delivery. Data and Content Management also work with e.g. security, quality assurance and consolidation into master sources.

But there are some differences, as plainly described below:

• Data Management has its roots in managing data for process workers and users. Data Management has followed the evolution of Enterprise Applications which have required high-volume transactional data.
• Content Management has its roots in managing documents for information workers and users. Content Management has followed the evolution of the web which has required the aggregation of multiple types of media.

There is also a difference on the consumption side of data and content. Data Management is often complemented with Business Intelligence, which concerns gathering and analysing data for business decisions. Content Management goes well with Enterprise Portals that offers multi-channel delivery of digital content.

The gap between Data and Content Management is very inefficient both from an IT and a worker/user perspective. So, Data Management and Business Intelligence must be better combined with Content Management and Enterprise Portals to enable the potential for EIM.

What is missing? Where should we start?

Enterprise information assets are fundamental to EIM, according to the definition above. Therefore an EIM approach should include the following key activities:

• Creation of a strategy that provides a unified direction for utilizing information assets (data and content)
• Definition of an architecture with a common blueprint for information assets (data and content)
• Establishment of an administration that continuously govern and improve information assets (data and content)

What is your experience?